White Pills and Dollar Bills
by K.J. Wood
Summary: While grieving the death of his older brother, Tyler Hawkins learns the values of life through a runaway stripper named Mallory.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

White Pills and Dollar Bills

Chapter 1: Prologue

New York City

**TPOV**

"Tyler!"

Well, it's nice to hear "Tyler" instead of "Charles's son". I threw my hand in front of the elevator door to stop it from closing as I saw Janine franticly running towards me. I should have figured it was her. Nobody else in this building calls out my name that eagerly unless they need papers to be photocopied.

"I almost forgot to give you these." She handed me two white envelopes with _Merry Christmas_ spelled out in an exaggerated cursive text. It always seemed like normal font was just too dull for a Christmas card. "The second card is for your brother. He left the office before I had the chance to give it to him."

I replied, "Thanks, Janine. If he's still awake when I get back to the apartment, I'll give it to him. If not… I might just keep it." Suddenly, she hit my arm with much more force than necessary. This was her attempt at being playful. Little did she know, I bruise easily and the one from last week still hadn't healed. "Don't expect there to be money inside, Tyler. I work for your father… remember."

I didn't know what else to say so I just smiled. I stepped back inside the elevator and as the doors closed, a huge wave of embarrassment crashed over me. I knew that Janine was just making a joke, but I hated hearing the truth. My father pays her half of what she deserves for putting up with all of his bullshit. Everyday she answers his calls, schedules his appointments, buys his coffee, and God knows what else. She is one of the nicest women I have ever met and is worthy of so much more.

Working for my father is not the most pleasant experience in the world. My brother and I would know. For the last six months, Michael and I have been working for Hawkins Law Firm. Michael had the hardest job of all. He was my father's bitch. If Janine was busy making phone calls, Michael was the one doing all of his paperwork. He worked longer hours than me, but our pay was equal. It wasn't fair, but he continued to bust his ass day in and day out. I was lucky enough to work in the mailroom and occasionally photo copy documents for him when he was overloaded with work. I agreed to work for Charles Hawkins under one condition, that I remained as far away from the bastard as possible. But, sometimes forty-five floors below him wasn't far enough. Working in the mailroom meant delivering mail to his office. I tried to deliver it unnoticed, but after several failed attempts I chose to give up. There is no avoiding Charles Hawkins. Somehow, someway, he will find you and make you feel worthless.

The sixteen-hour workday was over and I couldn't be more excited to go back to the apartment. I still had to wrap Caroline's present from Michael and me. For the past year she has been obsessed with art. It seemed appropriate to buy her a new set of colored pencils. I couldn't stand to look at those shitty Crayola ones any longer. To some people, spending one hundred dollars on art supplies for a ten year old may seem dumb, but she deserved it. Michael and I made an agreement not to buy each other gifts this year. We were running low on cash and hadn't paid our electric bill. I wouldn't be surprised if the power was off when I arrived home.

Michael was an aspiring musician who played at local bars every Saturday night. No matter how hard of a day he had, he would always come home and play his guitar. Writing music was somewhat of a stress reliever for him. Instead of cracking open a bottle of beer, he found peace in the sound of the acoustic strings. I have yet to develop the cultivated talent of a virtuoso, but I hope one day I will.

The bitter cold raised the hair on my arms as I walked out of the office building. If there was one thing I hated more than working for my father, it was winter. I've lived in Manhattan my entire life and I still loathe winter. The days are shorter and the nights are longer. Everything about this season just irritates me, especially the snow. I trudged through the four inches of slush, praying it would suddenly disappear. It made me miserable. The last thing I needed after a long day of work at my father's office was to fall on my ass due to the slippery substance beneath my feet. I stopped at the street corner and stared at my watch. It was 1 A.M. and I was exhausted. I saw a taxi and immediately lunged my arm into the air. Taking the subway would be logical considering I had about fifty dollars to last me until February, but it was too damn cold.

I arrived at my street fifteen minutes later with twelve dollars less in my wallet. I forgot how much I hate cabs. They smell like curry and guzzle up my money. I climbed six flights of wet stairs until I reached the front door. Michael thought it would be a good idea to hang a wreath on the door to make our apartment look more welcoming. The only person I was welcoming was the pizza delivery guy and I don't think he cared if it was there or not. I fiddled with the doorknob until it opened. Our landlord had yet to fix the lock since we moved in. It's not like we have many valuables, but if Michael came home one night and his guitar was missing, all hell would break loose.

The apartment was dark when I walked inside. Michael must be sleeping. I flipped the light switch, but the room didn't get any brighter. I flipped it repeatedly hoping the light would magically appear above me. Great. It was only a matter of time before my landlord shut off the power. But today of all days? Even though I couldn't see, I knew exactly where our electric bill was, piled under the other bills we have yet to pay on the kitchen table. I set my backpack on the floor and felt my way to the wooden cabinet next to the television where I kept a candle. I removed my lighter from my pocket and lit the candle. It didn't do much, but at least I could see where I was going. Our apartment was small and the last thing I wanted to do was knock something over and wake Michael up.

I made my way to the kitchen table and set the candle down. Next to our pile of bills was Caroline's unwrapped Christmas present. I had planned to wrap it before I went to work, but came to the realization that I didn't have any festive wrapping paper. Of course I forgot to pick some up when I got out of work. I guess newspaper will suffice. I opened the nearest drawer and rummaged through it, trying to find a pair of scissors and tape. After picking through the drawer for what felt like an hour, I found the tape. Now, where were the scissors? Oh well. Newspaper rips easily.

I started to sit down until I noticed that the only chair we had in the kitchen was missing. Michael and I were T.V. dinner people so there really was no need for a proper kitchen set up. Confused, I turned my head in each direction looking for it. A chair was missing in a small apartment. How hard could it be to find? I left the candle on the counter as I walked back into the living room, but it wasn't there. What the hell was going on? All I wanted to do was wrap this thing and go to bed. I made my way back into the kitchen and brushed my hands through my thick hair. I was stressing out over a damn chair. The only other place it could be was in Michael's room. I knew it wasn't in my room, considering I sleep on the couch in the living room. I walked past the bathroom towards Michael's room.

The candle in the kitchen flickered enough light for me to make out his bedroom door. I opened the door as quietly as possible, trying my best not to wake him. His room was dark as I expected it would be. I couldn't see a thing. I took two steps inside and carefully waved my hands around in front of me trying to feel for a chair. What a task this was. I took another step forward and stubbed my foot on something hard. "Shit." That hurt. I paused and waited for Michael to wake up and yell at me, but the room remained completely silent. I bent down to move whatever was in my way to find that it was exactly what I was looking for. The chair. From what I could feel, it was laying on its side. That was odd. I'd have to ask Michael about it in the morning. I positioned my body over the chair and lifted it up onto its legs. I turned to walk out as my shoulder bumped something heavy. It seemed like it was hanging from the ceiling, which didn't make any sense. What the hell was that? I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out my handy lighter. I flicked it on and turned my body to face what hit me….


	2. Chapter 2: Courage

White Pills and Dollar Bills

Chapter 2: Courage

September

**TPOV**

_I am walking on a beach. The water makes the sand stick between my toes. The sun is hot, but tolerable. I drag my coarse feet into the water. The sound of the ocean is like music to my ears. Michael loved music…_

Think of something else.

_I am at Yankee Stadium. The game is tied and it's the last inning. Derek Jeter hits a line drive through left field. The crowd cheers as he rounds third base. The heavily intoxicated fan next to me stands up and yells, while spilling his beer on my coat. Michael never liked beer…_

Don't give up. Try again.

_I am riding my bike home from work. I grip my handlebars tightly as I weave through the rush hour traffic. Cars are honking and hot dog vendors are shouting. A group of lost tourists are pointing at their maps and taking pictures with their digital cameras. One of them has a red sweatshirt on. Michael's favorite color was red…_

Come on Tyler, you can do this.

_I am waiting in line at Starbucks. The businessman in front of me is talking very loudly on his cell phone. It is rude. The woman behind me is snapping her gum. That is rude too. As I turn my head, an elderly man falls to the floor. Nobody helps him get up. Michael would have…_

Don't be ridiculous. Try one more time.

_I am sitting on a bench in Central Park. It is cool today, just the right temperature. Two young boys are tossing a Frisbee to one another. A woman is walking her golden retriever in the grass. A man is yelling at his daughter, telling her to stop swinging from the tree branch. Michael's lifeless body was hanging from the ceiling fan…_

"I'm all done. There's a mirror by the door if you want to take a look."

I snapped out of my trance and eagerly lifted my body off the leather recliner. I made my way over to the mirror and gawked at my reflection. Michael's imbedded name was staring back at me. It took me nine long months to work up enough courage to finally get this tattoo. Ever since I was a kid, I have been terrified of needles. The idea of inserting a sharp metal object into my skin made me squirm, but this tattoo wasn't for me. It was for Michael. I wanted to feel that he was still with me, and this was the only way I knew how. Although a massive amount of pain now lingered on the surface of my chest, it didn't compare to the internal suffering I constantly felt. I was not ready to accept the fact that he was gone. I couldn't.

The night of Michael's suicide remained in my mind, clear as day. As hard as I tried to forget what happened that night, the feeling still came back to me. To erase something so tragic seemed impossible. Everything around me reminded me of him, which made living a normal life unimaginable. Even when I attempted to sleep at night, I felt a sense of loneliness, like a part of me was missing. I used to be half of a whole, but now I remain alone and empty.

I envy people who are able to sleep. When the time came to go to bed, I could only lie on my back and stare at the ceiling above me. The light stayed on, and the covers remained at my feet. There was no use trying to sleep if the outcome was worse than insomnia. Nightmares plagued me at night regularly, and made sleeping the most difficult task in the world. On the rare nights that I lost the fight to keep my eyes open, I was always awoken by the sound of my own shrieking screams. Leaving the light on helped me snap out of it, but it also reminded me of why I did so. Being surrounded by darkness had become my ultimate fear. Not knowing what was around me brought back the feeling I had the night I found Michael's body, which was indescribable. When the sun finally rose in the morning, I hoped that time had suddenly turned back to when Michael was still alive, but to my constant disappointment, the days continued to move forward. Someone once told me that time healed everything. They were terribly wrong.

I stared at the name imprinted over my heart, as the fondest memories of Michael began to crash over me. I gently brushed my fingers on the surface of my tender skin where my new tattoo was. The jet-black ink that spelled out Michael's name was there to stay for the rest of my life. The corners of my mouth slowly lifted into what felt like a smile. I buttoned up my flannel shirt, grabbed my coat, and left the tattoo parlor feeling more than satisfied.

The tattoo parlor was a few blocks away from the apartment where Michael and I used to live. I thought about walking past it to see if anyone had moved in, but changed my mind almost instantly. I moved out for a reason. The idea of continuing to live in the same place where my brother committed suicide made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn't imagine how I'd feel just walking by, so I turned in the opposite direction and made a beeline towards the Upper East Side.

After Christmas day, I moved in with my best friend Aidan. He was the most enthusiastic person I ever knew, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He kept me on my feet and forced me to leave the apartment. Last week he literally dragged me from my bed and tossed me out the door. If I knew he was going to resort to violence, I would have left voluntarily. The only time I left my room was to go to work or walk Caroline home from school. I preferred to be alone in my room, but he made that almost impossible. If I didn't live with Aidan, I don't think that I would ever leave.

Rain started to pelt from the sky as soon as I turned onto my street. I dodged as much of it as I could before reaching the entrance of the apartment. Careful not to fall, I took small steps inside and locked the door behind me. It was nice to say that I had an apartment with a lock on the front door, thanks to Aidan. The size of the new apartment was incomparable to where I used to live hence the rent was triple. Aidan got all of his money from his parents, who were more than generous to pay my rent too. I didn't like being pitied, but I wasn't going to complain anytime soon. I liked not having to worry about paying my electric bill on time for obvious reasons. I finally had my own bedroom, which was as convenient as ever given my embarrassing episodes at night.

As I walked into my room, my eyes caught a bright pink piece of paper lying on my bed. Did I even want to know what it was? I took off my coat and carelessly tossed it onto the floor. I dragged my feet over to my bed and hesitantly picked up the paper.

LEGZ

Gentlemen's Club

NO PERSONS UNDER 21 ADMITTED

I crumbled up the flyer and tossed it in the garbage can before I could read anymore.

"What the hell did you do that for? There's a coupon on there for a free cocktail!" I turned my head and found Aidan standing in the doorway. I could ignore him, but I know he's not that easy to get rid of.

"I'm not going."

"Sure you are. Your birthday is tomorrow and we're gonna party like its 1999!"

"I was eleven in 1999. I don't think I was doing too much partying."

"It's a song, man. Don't you listen to Prince?"

"No."

"Well then we are gonna party like its 2010! Remixed by Aidan Montgomery."

"I told you I'm not going."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Are to."

"I don't even like strip clubs."

"How do you know? You've never been to one. Tonight, I am going to pop your strip club cherry, and I'm not going to wear a condom."

Aidan had such a foul sense of humor, but I had to admit, he was quite funny at times.

"You'll like it, I promise. I've got daddy's money and my best friend to spend it on."

"Can't we just stay here?"

"Oh, do you want me to bring the strippers here?"

"No! I don't want any strippers!"

Why was he torturing me with this? The last thing I wanted to do right now was go to a strip club. I'd rather walk around Times Square with tourists all day than go to a club. The thought of sitting around a bunch of horny dudes made me cringe.

"You need to get out, Tyler"

"I do get…"

"No, I mean have fun for once. Enjoy yourself. Let loose."

This was a battle I was not going to win. I plopped down on my bed and put my hands over my face. How bad could it be? A little strip club never hurt anyone, right?

"Alright, I'll go."

"Yes! You will not regret this my friend!"

As Aidan gleefully fist pumped down the hallway, I had a feeling that he was completely wrong.

* * *

**Once Mallory is introduced (aka Ch. 3), the chapters will be longer due to the overlapping of TPOV and MPOV. I know you are all eager to meet her ;)**

**Many thanks to the readers who have positively responded to this story. Your reviews are what encourage me to continue writing.**


	3. Chapter 3: Sensation

White Pills and Dollar Bills

Chapter 3: Sensation

**TPOV**

A line began to form behind Aidan and me just as we got to the club. It was a small place, but seemed to be pretty popular. There must have been at least a hundred people in there when we walked in. All men. The music was so loud I could barely hear myself think. I was already dreading this and praying that Aidan didn't secretly have any surprises planned. I agreed to come here because I knew he wanted to. Not for me. I was in no way prude, but I didn't like the idea of paying a girl to rub her naked body on me. Most guys were into it, but I definitely wasn't.

I pointed at two empty seats near the end of the bar. They were the furthest seats from the main stage. Perfect. "Can we sit over there?"

"What?" Aidan said, "That's a terrible view."

"Exactly."

As if right on cue, two middle aged men picked up their beers and left their seats, which were located directly in front of the main stage. Oh no. Aidan immediately grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me with him. He eagerly took the seat on the left, which kept me further away from the third pole. I was glad because I had no intention of watching.

Aidan pulled out his wallet and removed a small piece of pink paper. "I've got my coupon for a free cocktail. Don't complain to me that you didn't get one. You threw yours in the garbage this afternoon."

Aidan typically drank beer, so I had to ask him, "Since when do you drink cocktails?"

"I don't. But it's free. So what do you want to drink?"

"Nothing."

The bartender came over to Aidan and asked him what he'd like to drink, while fondling her chest in front of him. Her attitude towards him changed completely as he presented his bright pink coupon. Aidan had plenty of money, but he was still such a cheap bastard. The girl returned with his drink and carelessly placed it on the counter. Then she looked at me, while batting her lashes.

"And what do you want, cutie?"

"I'm good. Thank you."

"Suit yourself."

As the bartender walked away, a new set of colored lights appeared above us, and loud music began to play. I could feel a potential headache beginning to form. Aidan started to bob his head to the beat and raised his glass in the air as three girls walked out onto the stage. Aidan started to yell, but the music was too loud to make out what he was saying. I assumed it was something profane and offensive. The girls took their places next the poles and began their "dance". Maybe if I kept my head down I wouldn't feel like a complete pervert. I folded my arms on top of the stage and played with the drink coaster in front of me. I pushed my index finger down on the coaster and twirled it around repeatedly. I thought about counting the water ring stains on the counter, but the light was too dim. I wondered if it was safe to look up and take a peek at what was happening. Maybe they were still clothed. I slowly lifted my head to see a half nude girl in high heels and fishnets seductively crawling towards me. Jesus Christ. My eyes beamed towards the counter before I could comprehend what I just saw. I felt like I was in elementary school again.

"What's your name, baby?" Please don't be talking to me.

"Aidan. What's yours?" Thank God.

"Whatever you want it to be."

"I shall call you… Agnes."

"The fuck?"

"Agnes, this is my best friend Tyler. Tomorrow is his birthday."

Son of a bitch. I pulled my head out of my shoulder and turned to my left. A very thin brunette was sitting on the edge of the bar with her legs spread in front of Aidan. Of course he was staring directly in between her thighs and smiling like a little schoolboy. The club was so dark I could barely make out what she even looked like. A small laugh escaped from her mouth as she began talking to me.

"Well aren't you cute."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aidan rummaging through his wallet. He tapped the girl on the knee and flashed her a bunch of fifty-dollar bills.

"What do you say to showing him a good time?"

She enthusiastically obliged, "Of course. Come with me, honey." No. No. No. No. No.

The girl hopped off the bar and put her small hands over my bicep as she began pulling me with her. I shook my head profusely at Aidan while he tucked the bills deep into my coat pocket.

Aidan patted my shoulder and pushed me toward her. "She has the pussy, not you, so stop acting like one."

As I followed her through the club, she brushed her hand down the side of my right arm and intertwined her fingers with mine. This was so embarrassing. I could barely see where I was going, and I think I stepped on a foot or two. After a short walk through the crowd, we stopped at a door by the end of the bar. Standing in front of it was a huge bodyguard wearing a leather jacket. He had one of those "don't fuck with me" faces on, which made me want to turn around and run for my life.

He stared me down before he spoke, "Payment is upfront. Two-fifty. Champagne is included. There are two rules. Do not touch the female. Only she can touch you. She has the right to stop the dance at any given time if she feels threatened in any way. I will remain outside the door, so don't try anything stupid "

I pulled out the money that Aidan shoved in my pocket, and handed the guard five bills. I protectively put the rest back in and securely buttoned it.

He thoroughly checked the bills before responding, "Have a good time."

The monstrous man who strikingly resembled King Kong opened the door to reveal a small room with one chair located in the middle. I felt like I was about to be executed. I hesitantly walked into the room while surveying the dirty floor. This was not sanitary. I stepped over strands of hair and paint chippings from the wall, while making my way toward the center of the room. The girl shut the door and walked over to a table where she began pouring the bottle of champagne.

She delightfully said, "Make yourself comfortable."

That was highly unlikely. I thoroughly examined the chair before deciding it was safe to sit down. I put my hands inside of my coat pocket and looked up at the dimmed light hovering above my head. It was a bit easier to see in here, but the red tint of the light made my eyes burn. I pulled my right hand out of my pocket and began rubbing my face. Why did the light need to be red? Out of all colors… Michael's favorite.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up to see the girl standing directly in front of me holding two glasses of champagne. It was still difficult to see what she looked like, but the first thing that stuck out was her piercing green eyes surrounded by heavy black eyeliner. They looked hungry and seductive. She was biting her lower lip and staring at me intently, which made me feel more than uncomfortable. As I skimmed down to her chest, I could see that she made no deliberate attempt to hide her cleavage. Red tape in the shape of an "X" barely covered both of her nipples, while a thin-laced bra supported her breasts. Her stomach remained completely bare. She was wearing a short plaid skirt that hugged the bottom of her hipbone, which nearly exposed her black thong. The skirt hardly covered her front, which made me wonder why she wore it at all. This is the closest I'd been to a naked girl in over a year and I was acting as if it was something I'd never seen before.

My reply sounded so dumb, "The room is just… really red."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. It's okay."

She handed me the full glass of champagne that I had no intention of drinking. I just set it on the floor and tried to avoid making eye contact with her. The only sound in the room was the music echoing from the other side of the wall. It was becoming more and more awkward until she started talking again.

"I got a few rules of my own, birthday boy. One, don't call me by that dumbass name your friend gave to me. Two, I'm only gonna suck you off if you got a rubber. And three, if you aren't satisfied with what I have to offer here, I get off work at one."

I finally looked up at her and replied. "No thanks."

"I bet you'll change your mind in the next hour." She then took a large gulp from the glass and set it back on the table. I needed to figure out how to delay whatever was going to happen next.

"Do you mind if I smoke in here?"

"Go ahead."

I removed a cigarette from my pocket and stuck it between my dry lips. I began searching for my lighter when the girl removed the cigarette from my mouth.

I guess I should be polite and offer her one. "Would you like one?"

No response. She guided my unlit cigarette against her stomach and up towards her chest. What was she doing? I watched as her hand that held my cigarette made its way to her mouth. She continued to stare at me as she licked the filter of the cigarette then proceeded to suck on it. That did it. I could feel my dick hardening in my pants. This was not happening. Not now. I immediately looked down out of embarrassment.

"You got a lighter?"

I brushed my hands over my coat trying to find it when I realized it was in the pocket with Aidan's money. I unbuttoned it and removed the lighter just as the girl reached for it and pulled it out of my hand. I quickly buttoned it back up and lifted my head to look at her. The cigarette was now lit as she handed it back to me. I took a puff from the cigarette then removed it from my mouth. The filter was wet from her saliva. I licked my lips, which now tasted like Cherry Chap Stick. Talk about something else, Tyler.

"So, if you don't want me to call you Agnes, can you tell me your name?"

"Bridget."

"Nice to meet you, Bridget."

"Jennifer, Roxy, Mallory. Whatever you want."

"Which one is it?"

"I'll let you decide."

Without warning the girl who remained nameless, spread her legs and straddled my lap. Oh. My. God. I think I dropped my cigarette. Her little hands wrapped around my neck as her bare stomach moved over top of my jacket. I could feel her warm breath raising the hair on the back of my neck. She began grinding her bottom on my lap, which made my erection stiffen even more. It felt so good, but so wrong. I wanted to get her off me, but she was so tiny and fragile. I was afraid I'd hurt her, so I just stayed still and kept my hands at my sides. She lifted her head from my neck as she continued to slowly move her bottom over my jeans.

"Does that feel good?"

What do I say to that? "Feels fine."

"I want you to feel more than fine, baby." She pulled her weight off of my chest and placed her hands on my shoulders as she arched her back exposing her breasts. She was still partially covered, but the arousal in my pants grew uncontrollably. I needed to end this.

"Can you just do what it is that you normally do, so I can leave?"

She immediately stopped grinding her butt and remained still on my lap.

"Fine. Can you wrap up?"

"What?"

"I'm not blowing you unless you have a rubber."

A small laugh escaped from my mouth. "Oh, no. I don't want you to do that."

"Then what the fuck do you want me to do? How old are you, twelve?"

She was so polite.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know how all of this works. I'll make sure you get a good tip if we just sit here and run out the hour."

She stared at me for a few seconds before responding. "How about we start here."

The girl pulled my hands up and set them on either side of her waist, just above her hipbone. Her skin was soft under my coarse hands. She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the right side of my neck, then slowly moved over to the left. She moved her hands from my shoulders to the back of my neck where she gently began pulling the back of my hair. Once again she began writhing her body against mine and roughly grinding her bottom.

"I'm really wet. Touch me."

Soft moans left her mouth as the friction between our bodies grew faster. I looked over towards the door, hoping someone would come rescue me.

"It's okay. He's not gonna come in unless I call for him."

The sensation tingling through my body was just too strong to control. I felt powerless as I let this girl dominate me.

She whispered into my ear, "I know you like it. I can feel your hard cock against my pussy."

I couldn't give into this.

"Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

She kept her left hand on the back of my neck while unzipping my coat with her right hand.

I demanded, "Stop. I don't want you to do this."

The words escaping from my mouth didn't match the feelings my body was experiencing.

She kept fighting against me. "Shhhh. I'm gonna take care of you."

She tucked her hand inside my shirt and began rubbing her palm over my skin. A sharp pain rose from the surface of my chest when I realized she was scratching at my tattoo.

"Ow!"

Without thinking I grabbed her wrist and pulled it out of my shirt.

She gave me a look of repulsion. "What the hell?"

She then pulled down my shirt with her other hand, revealing my tattoo. What she said next officially ruined my entire night.

"Who's Michael? Your gay lover?"

"Get the fuck off me!"

The instant rage that appeared inside me grew to my arms as I pushed her onto the floor. The door suddenly swung open, and King Kong appeared in the room.

"Mallory, you okay?"

"This fucker hit me!"

I felt the collar of my jacket rip as the bodyguard yanked me out of the room.

"Come on asshole!"

He pulled my hands behind my back and shoved me through the crowd. He turned the corner and suddenly sent me flying out the back door. I felt my face hit the pavement of the alley followed by a cracking noise that came from my left wrist. The blow from landing on my chest made it painful to breathe. I fought for air as my aching body rose and fell from the ground. My ears were ringing, but I heard him say one last thing.

"I never forget a face! If I see yours in here again, I'll kill you! Stupid mother fucker."

The door behind me slammed shut and blood began to poor from my nose. I rolled onto my back and pulled my left hand onto my chest. My wrist was definitely broken. I quickly pulled down my ripped shirt to check my tattoo. I felt a huge sigh of relief wash over me when I realized it wasn't damaged in any way. I combed my fingers through my hair and stared at the night sky. How did I let this happen? I felt like I was going to lose consciousness until I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Tyler! What the hell happened to you?"

I turned my head to see Aidan walking towards me.

"I got thrown out, literally."

"What'd you do? Cop a feel?

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Was it that bad, man? I shoulda found you a girl with bigger boobies."

"Her breasts were fine, Aidan. Just leave me alone."

"Come on. Let's go get a coffee."

I was growing more and more irritated.

"Aidan… I said leave me alone"

"I'm not gonna just leave you here. It's getting late."

"Go away!"

Aidan paused for a brief moment then turned his body and started to walk away. I dropped my head in between my knees and started to sob. This was the exact reason why I didn't want to go out tonight. I knew something bad was going to happen. I wiped my bloody nose with my sleeve and tilted my head back against the brick wall.

**MPOV**

"You okay, Mallory? I think you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't tell Doug about this."

"You know he's gonna want me to tell him."

"Don't fucking say anything, Felix."

"Fine, but if it happens again…"

"It won't. Just chill."

The bald headed gorilla moved aside and I walked out of the V.I.P. room. My back hurt so fucking bad. I should have punched that asshole in the balls for what he did to me. What guy doesn't want a naked girl on top of him? He refused to look at me and completely ignored me. What the actual fuck? My night was going terribly and now I was bound to have a huge bruise on my back. I had no idea how I was going to hide this from Doug. He'd be so pissed if I were "damaged" in any way.

I had a half hour left on my shift, so I still had some time to make a little cash. I walked past the bar to see if the gay kid's friend was still there. He was gone, which meant my money was too. Damn it! That kid had at least a grand on him. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my waist from behind. I knew those hands… Doug. He stayed behind me while whispering into my ear.

"Mal, my office, now."

Shit. He walked behind me and guided me through the crowd while horny men gawked and whistled at me. That shit got old real fast. The second Doug would glare at them, they'd immediately walk away. He was the boss and nobody fucked with him. If they did, they'd end up dead.

I stopped at the door and quickly leaned against the wall as Doug found his key. Being practically naked didn't help with trying to cover my back. Odds are he probably saw it already. I was about to be in deep shit. Doug opened the door and gestured for me to go in. Great. I slid inside his office and walked directly towards the leather chair in font of his desk. I heard the door lock behind me as I pressed my back firmly against the seat. I crossed my legs and began biting my nails. I was too fucking nervous to just sit there and do nothing. Doug loosened his tie and sat behind his desk. He folded his hands on top of his stomach while leaning back in his seat. He was just staring at me. What the fuck was I supposed to say?

"What did you need me for?"

"Stop biting your finger nails."

"Sorry."

I placed my hands on my lap as Doug started to speak again.

"I have a job for you tomorrow night."

"How much does it pay?"

"Three grand." Holy shit. "The client wants to take you out to dinner, then you are to spend the entire night at his place."

"You actually want me to sleep there?" Doug never let me stay over. He always made me go home after the job was done. I didn't do anything without his approval. If he didn't want it to happen, it wouldn't.

"I'm making an exception for this guy. He's got a lot of fucking money and knows how to spend it. I was going to ask one of the others, but he seems to have a thing for girls that… look like you."

"Which is?"

"Young and vulnerable."

"I'm not fucking vulnerable!"

"I know that, but he doesn't. So, play the part. It's three grand, Mal. All for you. If you don't want to do it, I'll find someone who will."

No way in hell was I about to pass up three grand.

"I'm in."

Doug laid down the ground rules and told me the details. This was the normal routine. When he was finished, I rose from my seat and headed towards the door. Maybe there weren't any marks on my back after all. I opened the door and started to walk out until I felt something hit my back. I looked down to see a bandage lying on the floor. Fuck me. He knew.

"You might want to put that on your back. You got blood on my chair."

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**Thank you all for the kind responses to the last chapter. I look forward to reading your reviews for Chapter 3. **

**And of course MaryJaneStew who has been helping me edit my story. She's a lifesaver!**

**If you were looking for Tyler and Mallory to fall in love right away... well then write your own FF. It will happen. I promise. Good things take time... or so I've heard.**


	4. Chapter 4: Pathetic

White Pills and Dollar Bills

Chapter 4: Pathetic

**MPOV**

I rushed out of Doug's office as fast as I could before he decided to fire me. Doug cut one of the girls loose last week for having too many bruises on her legs, so it didn't make sense for him to be okay with the marks I was bound to have on my back. How was Doug not mad at me? I was beyond confused.

My body was usually covered in bruises, but I made sure they were concealed with cover up before going to work. I was prone to them due to my fair skin, and squeezing my thighs on a pole every night didn't help them go away. Typically, the more beat up I looked, the less money I'd make. Doug didn't like for his girls to look used up. We didn't have to be perfect, but looking like a dirty homeless slut wasn't acceptable.

I made my way into the backroom where the dancers were supposed to keep their belongings. All of those girls were shady bitches and liked to steal shit from each other, so I never brought more stuff than I needed to. If I did, I'd expect it to be missing when my shift was over.

The backroom was disgusting as usual. There was trash spilling out of the garbage can and strands of hair lying on the floor. At least fifteen empty bottles of booze sat on the vanity. These girls were dumb as fuck for leaving them out. If Doug ever walked in here, shit would hit the fan. We weren't allowed to drink or do drugs while we were working, but none of the girls cared. The only way they could get through the night was by getting completely fucked up.

Most of these chicks choose to have no feeling in their bodies when they're dancing. Coke is the drug of choice for most of us, but it doesn't come cheap, so liquor is the alternative. I walked over to the vanity and picked up the bottles of vodka, carefully examining each one to see if there was anything inside. My night got so much fucking better when I realized there were about two shots left in the vanilla Smirnoff bottle. Not really my choice of flavor for vodka, but I didn't give a shit. I chugged the bottle in a matter of seconds just wishing it would magically refill itself. I placed the bottle down and made my way over to the lockers and opened mine. Lockers are called "lockers" because they have locks. Of course we weren't allowed to use a lock, so it completely defeated the purpose. Thankfully, my clothes were right where I left them. If anything had been missing tonight I would have punched the first bitch I saw in the nose.

I replaced my high heels and skirt with a pair of converse and jeans. I buttoned up my army jacket so that I was covered and tossed my work clothes in my duffle bag. All I had to do now was find Felix and get the hell out of here. He held onto my money while I worked, so I wouldn't have to hide it in my cooter. Almost all of the girls did it. I could just picture a bunch of dollar bills falling out of my pussy while I danced on stage. I trusted Felix with my life, so I figured that it would be safe to trust him with my money too.

When I found Felix he was talking to one of the skanky blonde bimbos that call themselves a bartender. I threw my bag on the bar and slammed my head down on the table.

"Nice to see you too, Mal. How's your back?"

I pulled my head up to look at him while combing my hand through my hair.

"It's fine. I'm gonna split, so can I get my cash?"

Felix dug through his pocket and discreetly slipped the rolled up bills and something else into my pocket.

"Thanks, Felix. I'll see you Monday."

"You're not coming in tomorrow?"

"Outcall." A.K.A I'm selling my body to some sleezeball.

"Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, yeah."

I headed toward the back door and kept my right hand securely around the money in my pocket. I moved my fingers around trying to identify what else he slipped into my hand. The only guess I had was that it was my coke refill. I've been the biggest bitch for the last two days without it.

Felix dealt on the side and gave me a good price for quality shit. I stopped sucking him off for it because the dude got way too attached. Having regular customers, especially ones you work with, was a bad idea. When you start fucking around with the same people, they get clingy and emotional. Felix used to walk me home, but after he confessed his undying love for me, I decided to go solo. I was fine on my own. Besides, I had my pepper spray and was ready to mace a bitch if that day came.

I pushed the back door open and began walking down the ramp that led to the side alley. I removed a cigarette from my bag and searched for my lighter. It wasn't in my bag or my coat pocket. What the hell! I slouched my shoulders and sighed heavily. I started to walk away until I heard a noise by my feet. I turned around to see a blue lighter next to my heel. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I looked up to see who threw it and saw the gay kid leaning against the brick wall. Of course, it had to be him. I picked up the lighter, lit my cigarette, and tossed it back to him without a thank you. He didn't deserve it. I abruptly turned in the opposite direction and puffed from my cigarette.

I started walking into the alley behind the club when I heard footsteps approaching. Instead of turning around I began rummaging through my duffle bag trying to find my mace. When I found it I quickly pulled it out of my bag and pointed at whoever the fuck was following me. It only took one guess.

"Woah!"

I pointed it right at his face as he began slowly backing away.

I warned him, "Get the fuck away from me. This shit hurts!"

The gay kid put his hands up as if I was pointing a gun at his face. What a pussy.

"I just wanted to apologize for losing my temper earlier. It was wrong of me to push you like that."

"Yeah, well you did. So fuck off."

I lowered my mace hesitantly and began walking away. I didn't want to talk to this loser for another second.

He kept talking, "Please, let me make it up to you."

How could this kid possibly make up for what he did? I only thought of one thing he could do.

I replied, "You want to make it up to me?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Give me the rest of the money your boyfriend gave to you."

A small laugh escaped from his mouth before he responded. "I was thinking more along the lines of… buying you coffee."

Coffee? What a reject.

"Wow. That's so fucking unbelievably generous of you."

The kid just stood there with his hands back in his pockets and a somber look on his face. "Get the hell away from me before I call Felix and tell him to fuck up the rest of your shit."

"Can I at least ask if you're okay?"

"I'm not o-fucking-kay. I have a bruise on my back the size of a goddamn baseball! That is gonna fuck up my tips for the next week, so thank you."

I wasn't quite sure if all of that was true, but I wanted him to feel bad. My rage of hurtful words seemed to work. His brows furrowed together as if he was thinking about something then nodded his head and began walking away. Success.

"By the way, there's a gay bar down the street!"

That kid was so fucking weak. He couldn't even deal with a chick half his size yelling at him. It was pathetic.

I hope I never see that asshole again.

**TPOV**

I was about to go home until I saw her walk out of the club. I thought about walking away, but the timing was just too weird. I saw it as my opportunity to tell her I was sorry. That's what I get for trying to apologize to her, another mental slap in the face.

I couldn't help but feel bad for what I did. There was no excuse for hitting a woman, no matter who she was, even a stripper. I had more of a reason to be pissed off than her, but it was still wrong. I made a mental note to never come to this strip club or any strip club ever again.

I looked down at my watch, which read 1:20 A.M. I was officially twenty-two and it was the worst birthday I ever had. I walked out of the alley and headed towards the subway.

As if my night couldn't get any worse it started to rain again. I pulled my hood over my head but it didn't do much. I was drenched in a matter of seconds and the subway was still five blocks away. I started running as fast as I could until I turned the corner to see Aidan sitting at a table in Starbucks. He was sipping a coffee with his feet hoisted up on the chair across from him and he was dry. I really didn't feel like talking to him, but I also didn't want to run through the rain.

I walked into Starbucks and bells chimed on the door. Aidan looked up when he heard me walk in and signaled for me to come sit with him. I pushed off my hood and forcefully brushed my fingers through my hair. I felt disgusting. I pulled out the chair across from him and pushed his feet off. I slumped down in the chair and loudly exhaled. What a night.

Aidan broke the silence first. "You feeling any better?"

"Not really." I replied.

"I think your nose is bleeding. Is it broken?"

"No, but my wrist is."

"Guess you won't be riding your bike for awhile."

"Guess not."

I pulled a napkin out of the dispenser with my uninjured hand and held it against my nose. Most of the bleeding stopped, but my face surely looked like a mess.

I didn't feel like walking into the bathroom, so I decided to ask Aidan, "What does my face look like?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"Yes."

"It looks like someone hit you with their car, a big car. Like a Mac truck."

"Great."

"Your Mom is gonna flip her shit."

I immediately slammed my head on the table. My Mom was going to be so mad at me. How was I going to explain this to her? _Yeah Mom, Aidan and I went to the strip club and I accidently pushed one of the girls then got my ass handed to me._ My Mom is a social worker and deals with child abuse crimes everyday. She hates violence in any form and what happened to me wouldn't be an exception. I wonder if she'd believe me if I told her I actually got hit by a car. Doubtful.

"You can tell her I got too riled up while playing Mario Kart and punched you?" Aidan suggested.

"Actually, she'd probably believe that, but it doesn't explain why my wrist is broken."

"Sure it does. I punched you then karate chopped your hand, while simultaneously rubbing your face on the hardwood floor."

I had no expression on my face when I said, "You're funny."

Aidan smirked. "I try."

When Aidan and I got back to the apartment I darted into my bedroom and shut the door. I didn't want to see what my face looked like until the morning. I rummaged through the drawer by my bed and searched for the white pills that my stepdad gave me. Les was a doctor and prescribed medication to help me sleep. It sometimes worked, which often made my nights worse. When I had constant nightmares I knew what to expect. Now, I don't know when they will reappear. My most recent nightmare was last week and I remember it like it was yesterday. They always start and end the same, so they were hard to forget… like some memories.

I removed two pills from the bottle and tossed it back in my drawer. Doing this all one handed was quite a challenge. I popped the pills in my mouth and swallowed them with the glass of water I had next to my bed. I didn't bother changing. Instead, I just lied on my bed and let the feeling of unconsciousness overpower me.

_The chair. From what I could feel, it was laying on its side. That was odd. I'd have to ask Michael about it in the morning. I positioned my body over the chair and lifted it up onto its legs. I turned to walk out as my shoulder bumped something heavy. It seemed like it was hanging from the ceiling, which didn't make any sense. What the hell was that? I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out my handy lighter. I flicked it on and turned my body to face what hit me._

_Michael! I dropped the lighter on the floor and lifted my brother's legs to try and get the pressure from the rope off of his neck. _

_I screamed, "Michael!"_

_His body was ice cold. _

_Michael was dead. _

"MICHAEL!"

Suddenly, my body sprang from my bed and I began gasping for air. My throat felt like it was burning. I chugged the rest of the water that was sitting on my nightstand and tried to steady my breathing. Once I was fully awake, I immediately started crying and pulled the covers over my head. Tonight was officially the second worst night of my entire life. Happy Birthday Tyler Hawkins.

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**This chapter was a bit short, but the next one will be longer. Just wanted to sum up the rest of the night.**

**Thanks to my beta MaryJaneStew! You're the best!**

**Your reviews are the reason why I continue writing, so give me some =)**


	5. Announcement

Announcement:

White Pills and Dollar Bills will be on hold for a little while. I want to finish writing the entire story so that I can update regularly for you all in the near future. I have been so busy lately with classes and other bullshit. Thank you to all of the people who have read it so far and left positive reviews. I am sorry that I didn't post this sooner. I hope that when this picks back up again you will all continue reading it. Once classes are over I will have time to focus on finishing the story.

And fyi I know I am not a great writer, so if you don't like my story simply don't read it.

MJS – thank you so much for your support and kindness. I hope that you'll have Ch. 5 in your inbox soon


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